I have no interest in or inclination to use all the bells and whistles that come with graphic interfaces like compiz. So I find the fact that compiz is taking up space on my HHD and appears on menus and in configuration window to be an annoyance and distraction. Can it be removed without impacting the rest of the desktop environment? The reason I ask is that when doing internet searches on removing Compiz absolutely nothing comes up. All results show how to customizes compiz or remedy problems. I find that strange to say the least. Compiz can't possibly be vital software.

As I am about to reinstall Linux Mint Mate 17.3 after a disastrous upgrade to Mint Mate 18. I think it's the right moment to ask the question. That way I can remove it before I get customizing the rest of the system. Thank you.

I am quite certain that Mint 17 Cinnamon does not come with Compiz. Don't know about the others, but I would guess not. If I were at home, I would open up all the recent Mint releases in VirtualBox and check. I imagine others here can tell you if some of the versions come with Compiz.

“If the government were coming for your TVs and cars, then you'd be upset. But, as it is, they're only coming for your sons.” - Daniel Berrigan

after you install the mint/mate 17.x go to control centre/desktop settings/windows/marco+compositing ... if you experience screen tearing try marco+compton (if you need no effects just use marco or metacity by itself, i use marco+compositing it gives a bit of depth but nothing to configure)

Compiz is installed by default in MATE and XFCE, in both versions 17 and 18. It is not installed by default in Cinnamon or KDE, on either 17 or 18. I assume that it is installed by default in MATE and XFCE because the developers wanted to use some portion of it (not necessarily the whole thing). You could simulate a removal of Compiz in apt-get using the -s option and see what else it wants to remove.

“If the government were coming for your TVs and cars, then you'd be upset. But, as it is, they're only coming for your sons.” - Daniel Berrigan

I've added the removal of Compiz to my "speed" how-to, because Compiz is all about unstable unnecessary bling-bling anyway.

You know--that's what I used to think as well. For me compiz seemed glitchy
and I avoided using it with this reasoning.
Firstly, I have no need or want of tinkertoys. Yet I am an experimenter.
I now use compiz in a limited fashion--to 'place windows'--something that Mate does not do natively. ymmv
So not while all thumbs up--not all down either.
For newcomers I definitely suggest a step at a time